ClassLink Blog

Several years ago I was planning the rollout of several hundred new computers in two elementary schools. One of the first things I did was to interview the Director of Technology to find out what software would be included in the desktop image. Her response was revealing,

“We have a lot of software on the hard drives of the old machines. I have no idea what the teachers are using, so just carry all the software forward onto the new machines.”

There were more than 80 pieces of software, including a handful of DOS applications that had been carried forward during the last upgrade.

Now, this got me to thinking about how little we know about the actual use of the network infrastructures we build for our teachers and students. Was this DOT implementing and supporting an expensive computer network so that kids and teachers could print banners and flyers in Printshop? Was the network primarily used to Google information? Which of the 80 pieces of software were really being used and helping in the teaching and learning process?

I am on the Board of my local public library and each year our Director creates a report for us on how many books were loaned. The report tells us how what genres were most utilized (i.e. children’s books? Fiction, non-Fiction, etc) It tells us how many DVD’s loaned and how many Internet searches were done. It lets us know how many visits we had to our web page. The Director’s report also tells us how many visits we had to the library and at what times these visits occoured. Statistics like these help us to plan and make decisions about where we should be putting our resources. In fact, this year we shifted our hours to accommodate the higher library traffic that occurs late on weekday mornings.Without this important information our Board would be flying blind.

One of the new features of ClassLink is an app that provides data on what software is being used, how often, and for how long, and at what times it is used. If we take the time to analyze this data, we will have a wealth of information to help us plan for the future. We will not be flying blind.

For far too long, most of our resources, time, and energy have been directed to the infrastructure and equipment that make up our networks. ClassLink’s new app is an important first step for k-12 technologists to begin to put more focus on the applications that run on the network. It’s no longer enough to say,

“I don’t know…

I don’t know what their using. I don’t know how often they are using it. I don’t know when they are using it.”

ClassLink is on the path to helping us “know”.